Don’t Forget the “Social” in Social Media

Businesses, big or small, understand that they need some sort of presence on social media. They’re slowly coming to realize it’s a great marketing tool or an added benefit to an existing marketing strategy. However, as most companies put together their social media plans, sign up for social media networks, etc, they forget one key element: the social part of social media. It’s a great idea to start sharing content but that’s not the only part of the plan you need to execute. You also need to interact and stay involved.

Here’s a few ways to stay focused with your social media plan:

Don’t post and leave: Most people think it’s enough to just have a presence on social media. You brainstormed some great content, got it scheduled, and now you’re done, right? Wrong. It’s ok to schedule out content but don’t forget to come back and see if someone has commented, asked a question, liked, shared etc. If you ignore your audience, chances are they’ll notice, unlike, unfollow, and leave you for good. Don’t let that happen.

Don’t broadcast: Don’t make your social media feeds all about you. That’s boring. Share content generated by your fans, engage with them, retweet their tweets, ask a question, answer back, etc. You get it. Don’t just broadcast about your stuff just because it’s your social media account. Encourage sharing and reward the returns.

Treat your fans and followers like your lunch friends: Your network is a collection of lots of interesting people. As you engage them, you’ll learn a lot about your audience and your consumer audience. Listen to what they have to say. Some of them might have a ground breaking idea that you haven’t thought of. Address their needs in a timely matter and be passionate about what they have to say. It never hurts to be humble.

Post quality, not quantity: Don’t be worried about how much content you need to post. Make sure you’re keeping track of what actually works and drives engagement so that you can get more of it and enjoy all the goodness of comments, likes, shares – you know the stuff that puts the “social” into social media. Are you watching your insights? That’s all part of the conversation metric.

Don’t be a stalker: Don’t be afraid to reach out to your audience. See a conversation starting about your brand? Don’t be afraid to jump in and add to it. Instead of watching from the sidelines as your fans talk about a great meal they had at your restaurant, thank them for coming and invite them back. If you’re feeling generous, offer them a coupon.